YouTube accused of spreading anti-Semitic propaganda

YouTube has been accused of spreading anti-Semitic propaganda by German …

YouTube is under fire once again, this time for hosting Nazi propaganda videos. The Central Council of Jews in Germany is calling for a criminal investigation of Google for making the videos available to German viewers, as material that incites hate against minority groups is forbidden under German law.

The videos in question include clips from Jud Suess, a Nazi propaganda film from the 1940s, and music videos from a band called Landser, which has been outlawed in Germany due to their inclusion of WWII Nazi footage in their videos. A member of the German parliament, Dieter Wiefelspuetz, told German TV station Report Mainz that the videos were not only scandalous, but that "Publishing these films amounts to aiding and abetting incitement of the people," according to a statement seen by Reuters.

The Central Council also was quoted by Report Mainz saying that YouTube was spreading anti-Semitic propaganda, and German youth protection group Jugendschutz.net has also complained to YouTube over 100 times but claims to have been ignored.

This is certainly not the first time YouTube has been faced with an uproar over videos that contain unacceptable (and sometimes illegal) content in some cultures but not others. Officials in Thailand, Morocco, Iran, and Turkey have all taken issue with various videos—ranging from accusations that officials were gay to photos of officials being placed next to images of feet (punishable by 15 years in prison in Thailand)—that have been uploaded to the site.

Google doesn't typically make a habit of prohibiting users from specific countries from accessing content, but it has attempted to handle each case with sensitivity, both to the cultural objections and the overall global climate.

"We understand that these are real and sensitive matters and we respect the feelings and opinions of the people concerned," a Google spokesperson told Ars. "The Internet gives everyone the opportunity to speak and be heard. But by making it easier for people to express themselves the web also raises cultural and political concerns in certain countries. That's why we make it easy for users to flag content they believe violates our terms and conditions—and where it does, we remove it. And it's why we work with the relevant local legal authorities when it comes to content that may break local laws."

"We think this approach strikes the right balance between freedom of expression and respect for local law," she said.